Apparatus for pumping



June 2, 1959 K. s. SHELLMAN ETAL APPARATUS FOR PUMPING 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 19, 1956 1 INVENTOR.

KENNETH 5. SHELL/1M MELVl/V A. CROSBY.

ATTORNEYS June 1959 K. s. SHELLMAN ET AL 2,888,877 APPARATUS FOR PUMPING Filed April 19, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS Patented June 2, 1959 United States Patent fice APPARATUS FOR PUMPING Kenneth s. Shellman and Melvin A. Crosby, Dayton,

Ohio, assignors to Commonwealth Engineering Company of Ohio, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application April 19, 1956, Serial No. 579,283

4 Claims. (Cl. 103-53) 'This invention relates to pumps and a method of pumping and is particularly concerned with such pumps and such methods where the source of power for the pumping unit is of a vibratory nature.

In the pumping of liquids, particularly water from wells and the like, considerable difiiculty is encountered in obtaining motors that are suitable for submerged operation. Motors of this nature have been made and have operated for a considerable period of time satisfactorily, but they are expensive and of a highly specialized nature and, at best, have a life which is definitely limited.

The present invention proposes a new pumping principle in which substantial quantities of fluid can be moved by the application of a vibratory force to a pumping element particularly adapted for cooperation therewith.

This invention also proposes the provision of a pumping system of the nature referred to which is especially adapted for being submerged in the fluid to be pumped for indefinite periods of time without any deterioration of the pump occurring.

A pump according to the present invention involves the provision ofan element in which a wave motion is established upon the application to the element at a predetermined point thereon of a vibratory force. This wave motion progresses in one direction along the element and is utilized for causing the fluid being pumped to move in this same direction. The pumping element may itself actually propel the fluid being moved, or it may serve to actuate a flexible member such as a plastic or rubberlike pipe to cause fluid to flow therethrough.

The exact nature of the present invention and the numerous advantages and features thereof will become apparent upon reference to the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a more or less diagrammatic view showing one form which the present invention can take, and showing a variable frequency electric supply circuit connected therewith;

Figure 2 is a plan sectional view indicated by line 2--2 on Figure 1;

Figure 3A is a sectional view indicating a modification wherein an undulating pumping member is located within a sleeve open at both ends;

Figure 3 is a view like Figure 1, but showing a pumping arrangement in a different stage of operation thereof;

Figure 4 is a sectional view through another form of the invention wherein the pumping member is in the form of a diaphragm;

Figure 5 is a view like Figure 4, but shows the pump in a different stage in the operation thereof; and

Figure 6 is a view showing the manner in which an encapsulated solenoid can be employed for actuating the diaphragm of the Figures 4 and 5 modification.

Referring to the drawings more in detail, Figure 1 shows a pipe 10 leading into a well or other source of fluid to be pumped and terminated in an inlet screen 12 and a foot-valve 14, where immediately above foot-valve 14 is a section of plastic or rubber-like pipe 16, and

about which is mounted a pumping arrangement 18 constructed according to the present invention. Pumping element 18 comprises: a frame 20 which, as will be seen in Figure 2, encloses three sides .of pipe 16. The frame 20 is open on its fourth side and extending between opposite ends thereof and swivelly attached thereto at the said opposite ends is a flexible element 22 in which an undulating wave motion can be set up upon vibration of armature 24 by energization of solenoid 26.

Armature 24 is connected to element 22 at a point which may be fairly close to the lowermost point of support of the said element, which is indicated at 28, so that the length of travel of armature 24 is relatively small. This amount of travel of the said armature however will set up a traveling wave in element 22 which will travel upwardly from'the lower support 28 thereof to the upper point of support 30 thereof.

These waves follow oneanother quite closely as will be seen upon reference to Figures 1 and 2, and serve to cause upward movement of the water in the drop pipe. The arrangement is preferably such that the one side of pipe section 16 is pressed completely against the opposite side portion thereof, but it is not essential for the two walls of the pipe to come completely together in order to cause fluid flow therethrough.

It will also be apparent that a driving force upwardly on the fluid would be had if the element 22 were merely suspended directly in the fluid. An arrangement of this type is illustrated in Figure 3A, and it will be apparent that the 3A modification could be lowered directly into a drop pipe and then energized and then upward movement of fluid in the drop pipe would take place because of the wave motion of the element 22.

The energizing circuit for solenoid 26 is preferably of the nature illustrated in Figure 1, wherein one side of the solenoid is connected with one side of a power line L-l, while the other side of the solenoid is connected with the output side of a transistor 32, the input terminal of which is connected to the other side of the power line L4.

The control element of the transistor is connected via the grid leak network 34 with movable point 36 pertaining to biasing resistor 38. This arrangement provides for a variable frequency supply to the solenoid 26, so that the armature 24 can be vibrated at any desired speed which may range from a relatively few cycles per minute for a large pumping unit to many hundreds or even thousands of cycles per second for a small pumping unit.

In the modifications of Figures 4 to 6, there is shown a pump having a housing consisting of a back part 50 and a front part 52, and between which parts there is clamped the diaphragm element 54.

Housing part 52 is provided with a central inlet 56 which is supplied through an inwardly opening check 58, and is also provided with an outlet 60 adjacent its outer periphery which charges through an outwardly opening check valve 62.

The housing part 52 comprises an angular area or region 53 located between inlet 56 and outlet 60 which is in about the same plane as the parting line of the housing parts. This angular region or area provides a surface against which the diaphragm seals as the center part is vibrated and undulations pass outwardly of the diaphragm from the center to the periphery.

Diaphragm 54 has connected to its center part armature 64 spring urged in one direction by a spring 66 and adapted for being moved in the opposite direction by a solenoid 68.

As in the case of the element 22 of the modifications previously described, energization of the solenoid 68 cyclically will set up vibratory motion of armature 64, and this will create an undulating movement of diaphragm 54 which will establish therein an outwardly mov ing standing wave which will carry quantities of water or whatever fluid is being pumped from the inlet 56 outwardly to the outer peripheral channel 70 whence the liquid 'will discharge from the pump through outlet 60.

Figures 4 and 5' showthe pumpin two stages-of opera tion, and Figure fi'illustrates the structure thereof when an encapsulated solenoid is employed wherein the cheap sulating material being, for example, epoxy resin, or the like which is sufiiciently hard that it can be threadedformed thereon and the solenoid threaded directly into the pump body.

From the foregoing, it would be apparent that the present application discloses a new pumping principle and devices for putting this principle into practice. In each case, rotary elements such as motors or pumpimpellors are eliminated, and the entire unit can be sealed permanently and thus will have indefinte life under all circumstances.

It will be understood that this invention is susceptible to modification in order to adapt it to different usages and conditions, and, accordingly, it is desired to comprehend such modifications within this invention as may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a pumping arrangement; a pump body having a central inlet and a peripheral outlet, a flexible diaphragm having its periphery clamped to said body radially outwardly from said outlet, said diaphragm being undulating in cross section, means attached to said diaphragm in the region of the center thereof for causing vibratory movement of the center of the diaphragm toward and away from said inlet, and an annular region on said pump body between the inlet and outlet engageable by the diaphragm as the diaphragm vibrates to form a seal between the inlet andoutlet whereby upon vibration of the diaphragm fluid will be pumped fromthe inlet to the outlet.

2. In a pumping arrangement; a pump body having a central inlet and a peripheral outlet, a flexible diaphragm having its periphery clamped to said body radially outwardly from said outlet, said diaphragm being undulating in cross section, means attached to said diaphragm in the region of the center thereof for causing vibratory movement of the center of the diaphragm toward and away from said inlet, and an annular region on said pump body between the inlet and outlet engageable by the diaphragm as the diaphragm vibrates to form a seal between the inlet and outlet whereby upon vibration of the diaphragm fluid will be pumped from the inlet to the outlet, said inlet and outlet being provided with check valves.

3, In a pumping arrangement; a pump body having a central inlet and a peripheral outlet, a flexible diaphragm having its periphery clamped tosaid body radially outwardly from said outlet, said diaphragm being undulating in cross section, means attached to said diaphragm in the regioriof the center thereof for causing vibratory movement of the center of the diaphragm toward and away'from said inlet, and an annular region on said pump body, between the inlet and outlet engageable by the diaphragm as the diaphragm vibrates to form a seal between the inlet and outlet whereby upon vibration of the diaphragm fluid will be pumped from the inlet to the outlet, said means attached to the diaphragm comprising an armature and solenoid means for causing movement of the armature.

4. In a fluid pump; a generally circular pump body comprising, rigid parts clamped together, one of said body parts having an inlet adjacent the center and an outlet adjacent the periphery, a diaphragm clamped between'said body parts and being of at least slightly greater diameter than the diametral distance between the clamped edge'portions' thereof, an armature attached to about the center of said diaphragm, and electric means carried by the other body part cncrgizable for causing vibratory movement of said armature and therefore of said diaphragm whereby to draw fluid in said inlet and discharge it from said outlet, there being an annular area between the inlet and outlet engageable by the diaphragm to seal between the inlet and outlet, said electric means comprising an encapsulated solenoid threaded into said other body part, and there being an oscillatory electric circuit connected with said solenoid for energizing the same.-

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,922,196 Butler Aug. 15, 1933 2,216,703 Ericson Oct. 1, 1940 2,611,321 Shafer Sept. 23, 1952 2,816,514 Freese Dec. 7, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 172,516 Austria Sept. 25, 1952 

